XTraderXL wrote:Bob8 wrote:XTraderXL wrote:
I suspect Brunson will be ok in the playoffs. He is playing much better in the RS this year and he will probably be ok in the PO as well. But we are talking about the RS here now. You are jumping ahead.
I agree that this team cant do much in the post season but that is only true if it was a normal season. Right now too many things are up in the air, we dont know how Covid situation will be, which players will be available and when... So basically if a PO team gets lucky and has their players healthy and the opposing teams best players are out for 3-4 games in POs, then even the lower seeds can win any series. This is the year when practically any team can win it all and thats how they should look at the situation. So the no/lack of motivation excuse doesnt fly with me.
Don't you think that Brunson is profit taking in this strange Covid season already? Most of the teams just in surviving mode, teams' will play much different D in playoffs. And how will Brunson look, when Luka is back and his role changes? They're somewhat similar players, both needing ball in their hands a lot, playing a lot of Isos. The best would have been 1 running first and other second unit. I'm not sure that Brunson will be satisfied with that anymore.
If Brunson is really good enough to run Mavs, which I doubt very much, then it's no brainier. Trade Luka. You will get back enough to build contender.
You are completely missing my point and leaving out parts of my comments. But the main point remains that this season Brunson has been a positive for the Mavs and Luka has been consistently a negative. What will happen after Luka comes back from fat camp is yet to be seen but nobody cant deny that so far he has been way worse than everyone expected.
If I were the Mavs, I would wait and see how the next year goes. If he comes back fat after this summer, I would trade his ass by the deadline. Not being fat is the least he can do and he is not able to keep his weight in check. That is lack of discipline and lazyness and you cant win anything if your main player is not serious about his job like Luka seems to be this season.
I'm saying that what we have seen so far is small sample size in a weird season.
I agree that Luka was bad, but it was more difficult for him to return to form, after coming totally unprepared, because of his injuries/covid and playing in Kidd's new system. All players looked pretty bad in the begging of the season, what maybe should be expected, changing a coach is not the simplest thing.
Brunson in the other hand has taken his opportunities in a weird Covid season and Luka missing so many games. Great for him, but that basically means Mavs will need to overpay him. I don't believe that paying around 120 mio per season for Luka/Brunson/THJ/KP is good for Mavs.
Luka will need to show much better work ethic, if he wants to eventually win something and Mavs will have to decide in which way they go. Continuing with this roster is the worst thing to do.